Details

Reference number

481615

Salary

£27,631

Up to £7,500 of additional allowances which includes: Night working - £2,250, Enhanced Allowance Night working- £2250, Rotating shift - £2,000 and Public holidays & weekend working - £1,000.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Administrative Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MCA - His Majesty's Coastguard

Type of role

Administration / Corporate Support
Customer Insight
Operational Delivery

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information

Location

Lerwick

About the job

Job summary

Our Maritime Operations Officers come from diverse backgrounds and age groups, united by a shared commitment to maritime safety and security, and a desire to make a difference.

You are the first person mariners and coastal users speak to when they call for help in an emergency. Your role is crucial in providing immediate assistance and coordinating the necessary response efforts to ensure the safety and security of those at sea and along our coasts.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the Kings birthday
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

You will be operating through the phones, radios and various other systems in one of our Rescue Coordination Centres, so whilst you wont be out at sea, that doesnt make what youre dealing with any less real.

You will be the first point of contact for people who need our help. This could range from a call that someone appears in distress in the waters and needs help, through to a ship that requires assistance, sometimes with life-changing consequences to everything in between.

Your responsibilities will include, but arent limited to:

Act as the first point of call for all public contact.
Coordinate responses to both emergency and routine issues.
Work as part of a team to organise the response to emergencies.
Work with other Emergency Services to ensure the most effective and robust outcome is achieved.
Ensure that you work to strict operating procedures.
Accurately record, update and maintain incident logs, records and databases.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

If you want to hear more from our Maritime Operations Officers Click Here.

Person specification

This is an excellent opportunity to access a new career path, we don't ask for you to be an expert in this role and you should rest assured that we will provide you with all the training you need. What we particularly need from you are a number of core skills such as:

Communication - you have to be a good communicator, you will be speaking to people who could be going through one of the most difficult experiences of their lives, they may be scared and panicked. You will have to keep them calm to be able to get the right information from them quickly and then effectively pass that on to others.
Resilience - this role can be challenging, as you will handle incidents that may not always have positive outcomes. This includes calming individuals in severe distress and dealing with situations that may result in fatalities.
Teamwork - you will be the first and sometimes only person a member of the public may speak to, but you will work with a team to coordinate responses. It's essential that you're the kind of person who can work effectively with others when it really counts.

Additional Information

Please note that this post is based in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands.

This is a full-time post. The post holder is required to work a 12-hour shift pattern (both day and night shifts) to allow HM Coastguard to provide its 24-hour emergency service to the public, 365 days a year. On average the shift pattern equates to 37 duty hours per week over a 12-month period. As such, this position attracts several allowances to reflect the shift working and unsociable hours.

Please note that this is a uniformed role and uniform will be required to be worn at all times when on duty.

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical medical and mental health questionnaire for this role. Please see the attached document for further information.

Please contact if you have any further questions HR.Resourcing@mcga.gov.uk

Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services*.*

This role is not suitable for hybrid working and will require the successful candidate to work solely from their designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, from other offices/work locations/visiting stakeholders.

If you have a question about travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. Therefore, this role is not open to applications from those who require sponsorship candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

You will be required to start in your role prior to your training in 2027, dates can be seen in the attachments below. You will be required travel to our Coordination Centres in Fareham and Southampton frequently throughout your training (expenses will be paid alongside accommodation provided).

The training programme will span 18 weeks and comprise 4 modules, each followed by an exam. Candidates are typically permitted one resit per module if they do not pass initially. Any resits may delay the overall completion of training and the release of full allowances.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Delivering at Pace
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,631, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £8,004 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the Kings birthday.
Access to the staff discount portal.
Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies .

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Online test

At this stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Ability - Numerical Test

After submission of the first stage of your application (personal details), you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the full application (please see stage 2: sift for further information).

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), to give yourself enough time to complete your full application (please see stage 2: sift for further information). The closing date for the tests and application is 23:55, 18/10/2026. If you fail to complete the online test and submit the application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn.

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 11 October 2026. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between 4pm and 7pm. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Stage 2: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750 word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

Ability to work in a high-pressure environment, whether that pressure comes from the volume, pace or nature of the work.
Experience of working in a fast-paced, service-led environment.
That you can communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, so you are properly understood by all.

The sift will take place the week commencing the 19th of October 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to the below:

Stage 3: Assessment

You will be invited to complete 2 assessments to test your abilities which will include 1) a call listening exercise, 2) an IT skills exercise.

The assessment will take place online via Microsoft Teams.

The assessment stage will take place the week commencing the 26th of October 2026.

Guidance will be provided if you are invited to the assessment.

Candidates successful at assessment stage will be invited to interview.

Stage 4: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing.
Strengths

The interviews will take place the week commencing the 09th of November 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site .

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
Threats or acts of violence
Illegal activity or substance misuse
Sexually explicit material
Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. Its not about judging your personality or lifestyle - its about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail whats being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Robert Brown
Email : hr.resourcing@mcga.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Maritime Operation Officer

Maritime Operation Officer

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